Just about to install new sills on the sliding door side and just want to double check a few things before I spark the welder up. As usual nothing on this bus seems to line up! While unpicking the rear outer sill I'm pretty sure I actually found a piece of original bus, which on this thing is amazing. I think it survived as it was covered with so many layers of extra metal! My plan is to use this as known good point of C pillar, outer sill, jacking point and rear wheel arch. Seems to line up with the new outer sill (about the only thing that does). The front not so good, but that's another thread/day/story. So my actual questions are: 1. I assume the jacking point is located directly under the C pillar? 2. The top of the inner sill should be flush with the top of the indented section of the bottom guide? 3. The sill rests on the jacking point as below? If so should there be this gap at the bottom of the C pillar? I would expect those 2 red lines to be in the same place. The bottom of the middle sill has been removed previously.
Looks like you're on the button. I would remove at least the front part of the rear arch skin to access and repair the inner / middle sill. You can see a scrap of the original rear arch in your first photo. Even if you were thinking the rear arch is ok I would chop some off for that access to do the sills properly, it's the only way! Or buy a whole one and replace the lot to get it lined up better. Ref the front - bliddy annoying when someone else gets there first and fecks up the panel alignment for you! As I'm sure you know the outer should follow the line of the inner seal retaining bit more like this. Another case of chop it off and do it properly, this time before the sills but with the sills in mind.
the new sills arent exactly the correct shape, no quite curved enough, a little compromise is required but they can be good enough
Thanks. I'm having real trouble lining up the inner sill with the C pillar. If I align it flush with the floor/lower track. it leaves this gap at the bottom of the C pillar. is this correct? I'm pretty confident that the lower C pillar is original and unmolested. I'm not so confident that the lower track might not have been cut and re-welded at some point. Is there a measurement from the gutter or somewhere |I can check. It's a Scholfield panel so that should be ok?
Bummer but not that unusual TBH, I think they bend these sills with their eyes shut. Not Schofields particularly, I don't even know if the buy them in or make them. How does the outer one look height-wise at the bottom? The usual way to repair the middle/track one is to try and leave the top + track well alone and replace a strip along the bottom - does it look like that's happened? When it's all together, due to avoiding trying to spot-weld 3 layers, VW staggered the sills with the outer being the lowest if that helps.
You are a VW genius! I think I've found the answer! The issue is the lack of middle sill confusing things. Middle sill has ben cut here all the way along. I've looked from under and noticed the front of the outer and inner sill look like this. Notice that it's flush at the front for 12" then steps back. If you carry this step back along it kinda lines up. I think it should look like this in cross section. Or I'm just talking utter rubbish!
Ha! It got cut off but not replaced... I've done this horrible job quite a few times. I would stagger the outer too because it's easier to weld and seam seal plus you end up seeing just the end of the outer. When you clamp the inner and centre together to weld, be careful - look along the line from front to back inc the front of the rear arch or you may end up with a banana.
Here's an unmolested early, but same thing. Looks like you were right, the middle and outer are about level. I would still stagger it a bit personally for the reasons above.
Now I know how it goes together. I thought I'd celebrate with a little present. If anyone needs some spot welds in the midlands. All the gear. no idea....
Funny story. A mate (sort of mate) gave me a spot welder with a timer box. He gave it to me after welding on some mini sills. He primed and top coated then set up his infra red heater to cure the 2-pac paint faster. Ping-ping-ping went the welds as they sprang apart. That timer was a bugger, the max time wasn't really long enough for anything thicker than 2 x 0.8mm panels. After some trial and error I found the first 6 welds weren't up to snuff and it only worked well once the prongs were well heated (red hot sometimes). But yes, a great tool for making things look original and not having to make/grind ugly plug welds. Where it works it's a fantastic time saver too.
